Loom harness



June 23, 1942. v J. J. KAUFMANN LOOM HARNESS Filed Dec. 29, 1939 loom.

However, in the use of selvage harness of the Patented June 23, 1942 LOOM HARNESS John Jacob Kaufmann, Elkins Park, Pa., assignor to Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 29, 1939, Serial No. 311,455

6 Claims.

selvage, but in such devices it was usual to use' heddles of much greater length than the heddles in the main harness frames to prevent fouling of the selvage heddles and their supporting parts with the parts of the main harness frames. The heddles customarily used wereof a length sufficient to extend from the top of an elevated harness frame to the bottom of an adjacent harness frame when the shed is formed in the type in which the heddles are'of greater length, as aforesaid, difiiculty arises when a set of harness is removed from the loom, either for-reentering'the warp therein or for storage purposes, by reason of the selvage harness projecting a considerable distance above and below the main harness frames. It, therefore, was customary, when a set of harness was removed from the loom, to withdraw from their heddles the warp ends controlled by the selvage harness, and to separate the selvage harness from the main frames. This involves complications when the harness is replaced in the loom, by reason of the necessity to rearrange the selvage harness with respect to the main frames, and also by reason of the necessity to draw in the selvage warp separately after the harness is replaced in the loom.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a selvage harness in which heddles of standard length are employed, which heddles are so mounted that there will be no interference with the free shedding of the main harness frames, and which selvage harness is so constructed and arranged that the entire set of harness may be readily removed from the loom with the selvage harness left'in the proper relationship to the other, frames.

A further object of the. inventionis to provide selvage harness -in which the short rods, upon which the heddles are mounted,will always be maintained in their proper horizontal positions, thereby to insure proper freedom of action, and

to eliminate crowding of the heddles toward one end of therod as usually occurs when the rod is tilted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a selvage harness which may be inexpensively constructed, but which will be durable and ef' ficient in its operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for connecting the selvage harness to the actuating straps which will permit the selvage harness to be readily and expeditious ly removed from the loom when'desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those familiar with this type of apparatus.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily'understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in'which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a selvage harness embodying the main'features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view'of the upper portion of the'structure shown inFigQl; i

Fig. 3' is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the portion of the structure shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a'perspective view illustrating in detached relationship'certain of the parts of the structure. It will, of course, be understood that the description and drawing'herein 'are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of 'the invention.

Referring to'the drawing, in'the particular embodiment' of the invention therein shown, the heddles [0 may be of any preferred type, but preferably are of the kind shown, being made of thin, flat strips of metal or wire in which central warp eyes ll of the ordinary type are provided. The heddles'lll are mounted on the heddle supporting bars l2 inthe ordinary manner. The heddles l0 are preferably of the standard length such as are used in the main harness frames, as it is not necessary, in the present selvage harness, to use extra long heddles, as has heretofore been customary.

The heddle'supporting bars l2 consist of relatively short members punched and formed from a metallic strip. The end portions of each heddle supporting bar ii are reduced in width, as at I3, thereby providing shoulders I4 for a purpose to be presently explained.

One heddle supporting bar I2 is provided at the top of the heddles I9, and another at the bottom of the heddles I0, and connecting said bars I2 are side members I5 also made of thin, flat strips of metal or wire, preferably somewhat stiffer and heavier, however, than the strips from which the heddles III are formed. In each end of each of the side members I5 there is provided a slot I6 complemental to a reduced end portion I3 of the bar I2 upon which it is mounted.

The arrangement is such that when the side members I5 are mounted with the slots I6 thereof engaging the reduced end portions I3 of the bars I2, the inner faces of said side members I5, adjacent the slots I6, will abut against the shoulders I4 of said bars.

The side members I5 are initially maintained on the bars I2 by means of U-shaped members II, each comprising a horizontal portion I8 and vertical portions I9. The vertical portions I9 of each of said U-shaped members I! are slotted, as at 20, complemental to the reduced end portions I3 of the bar l2, for mounting the same thereon. After the heddles II] and the side members I5 are assembled on the bars I2, the side legs I9 of said U-shaped members II are sprung open to enable the same to be placed upon the bars I2.

'It should be understood, however, that the U-shaped members II are not absolutely essential, and in some instances the same may be omitted; but said U-shaped members assist materially in the initial assembling of the selvage harness, serving to retain the heddles II] and side strips I5 on the bars I2 until the other parts, to be hereinafter described, are assembled with respect to said bars. Each of the bars I2 is provided with a bail member 2|, having a horizontal portion 22 and two vertical legs 23. This bail member 2| is preferably made from round wire having its ends flattened and spread to a width corresponding to the width of the side members I5, and in the flattened parts of the vertical extensions 23 of the bail members 2|, there are provided slots 24 complemental to the end portions I3 of the bars I2, upon which the heddles ID are mounted.

The bail members 2| are preferably made of relatively stiff or hardened material having sufficient resiliency and under such tension as to cause the vertically extending legs 23 thereof to spring inwardly toward each other, thereby to hold the various parts assembled upon the bars I2.

The horizontally extending portion 22 of each of the bail members 2| is mounted in a connector 25, the main body portion 26 of which is made from a thin, flat and relatively wide strip of metal, preferably spring steel, bent around at one end to form a hook 21 for the reception of the horizontally extending portion 22 of the bail member 2|. The connector 25 is provided with a closure plate 28, also made from a thin, flat strip of metal, preferably spring steel, which preferably extends the full length of the connector 25 and across the opening of the hook portion 21, serving to prevent the selvage harness from fouling on the adjacent frames in the loom when the shedding occurs. Said closure plate 28 also extends around the hook of the main portion to a medial point where it is provided with a projecting tab 29 normally lying in an intermediate plane of the structure, the purpose of which is to facilitate the insertion of the bail member 2| in the hook portion 21 of the connector 25.

The spring closure plate 28 is preferably secured to the main plate 26 of the connector 25 by means of tubular rivets 30, one of said rivets being located at the end of the connector 25 remote from the hook portion thereof, the arrangement being such that the opening of said tubular rivet 30 may be utilized for the attachment of a hook member 3| which engages the actuating strap (not shown) of the harness. This hook member 3| may comprise a single piece of wire having a loop end portion 32 which engages the opening provided by the tubular rivet 30. The other end of the hook member 3| is shaped in the usual hook formation, as at 33, for engagement in one of the apertures usually provided in an actuating strap (not shown) of the harness.

It will be seen that by the foregoing arrangement, there is provided a novel form of harness for mounting small groups of heddles in the loom such, for example, as are employed for weaving the selvage in certain types of fabrics, or in some instances for weaving stripes therein.

It will be noted that in the present form of harness, heddles of standard lengths may be employed, nevertheless the arrangement is such that there will be no interference with the free shedding of the harness frames. Furthermore, when it is necessary to remove a set of harness from the loom, the selvage harness may be left in its proper relationship therein, by reason of the fact that the bail members 2| may be readily disconnected from the connectors 25, and when so disconnected, the overall height of the selvage heddle assembly will not exceed that of the main frames.

Hence, the entire set of harness may be readily removed from the loom without requiring the withdrawal of the warp ends from the selvage harness, and considerable time and labor are avoided when the harness is replaced in the loom.

I claim:

1. In a loom harness for supporting small groups of heddles, heddle supporting bars upon which said heddles are mounted, side members having their end portions engaging the end portions of said supporting bars, U-shaped members each having vertical leg portions resiliently impelled towards each other and engaging the end portions of the supporting bars, and bail members each having leg portions engaging the end portions of the supporting bars to retain the various parts assembled on said supporting bars.

2. In a loom harness for supporting small groups of heddles, heddle supporting bars upon which said heddles are mounted, side members comprising thin flat metallic strips having their ends portions in slotted engagement with the end portions of said supporting bars, said supporting bars having shoulders against which the end portions of the side members abut, U-shaped members each having leg portions in slotted engagement with the end portions of the supporting bars, and bail members each having leg portions in slotted engagement with the end portions of the supporting bars and tensioned to retain the various parts assembled on said supporting bars.

3. In a loom harness for supporting small groups of heddles, heddle supporting bars upon which said heddles are mounted, said supporting bars having shoulders near each end, and one piece bail members each having a horizontal portion and elongated vertical leg portions the ends of which are in slotted engagement with the end portions of the supporting bars, said ball members being made of relatively stiff material having sufficient resiliency and under such tension as to cause the leg portions to spring inwardly toward each other to the limit provided by the shoulders of the supporting bars thereby to retain the various parts assembled upon the supporting bars.

4. In a loom harness for supporting small groups of heddles, heddle supporting bars upon which said heddles are mounted, side members comprising thin flat metallic strips having their end portions in slotted engagement with the end portions of said supporting bars, said supporting bars having shoulders against which the end portions of the side members abut, and one piece bail members each having a horizontal portion and elongated vertical leg portions the ends of which are in slotted engagement with the end portions of the supporting bars, and the ends of the leg portions of the bail members serving to retain the various parts assembled upon the supporting bars.

5. In a loom harness for supporting small groups of heddles, heddle supporting bars upon which said heddles are mounted, side members comprising thin flat metallic strips having their end portions in slotted engagement with the end portions of said supporting bars, said supporting bars having shoulders against which the end portions of the side members abut, and one piece bail members each having a horizontal portion and elongated vertical leg portions the ends of which are in slotted engagement with the end portions of the supporting bars, said bail members being made of relatively stiff material having sufficient resiliency and under such tension as to cause the leg portions to spring inwardly toward each other thereby to retain the various parts assembled upon the supporting bars.

6. In a loom harness for supporting small groups of heddles, heddle supporting bars upon which said heddles are mounted, side members comprising thin fiat metallic strips having their end portions in slotted engagement with the end portions of said supporting bars, said supporting bars having shoulders against which the end portions of the side members abut, one piece bail members each having a horizontal portion and elongated vertical leg portions the ends of which are in slotted engagement with the end portions of the supporting bars, said bail members being made of relatively stiff material having sufiicient resiliency and under such tension as to cause the leg portions to spring inwardly toward each other thereby to retain the various parts assembled upon the supporting bars, and thin fiat and wide steel connectors each having a hook portion engaging the horizontal portion of a bail member over the greater portion of its width.

JOHN JACOB KAUFMANN. 

